News & Events

October 2024

PMI extending our reach Northward!

In early July of this year Author Mara Feeney reached out to Pickleball Manitoba regarding introducing the game to the Arctic community of Rankin Inlet in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, just west of Hudson’s Bay and north of the Manitoba border. Mara, who now lives in California, was raised in Winnipeg but lived and worked in Rankin Inlet in the 1970’s and has returned periodically since then. While entertaining a few friends from Rankin in her home in California, Mara introduced them to pickleball. Like the rest of us, they were all in.

Last February, after consulting with community representatives, Mara and friends shipped two nets, twelve paddles, and thirty pickleballs to Rankin Inlet to be used in their indoor winter sports program. This gesture sparked a remarkable chain of events that brought the community together. Her connection to the area and her desire to share the game she loves resulted in an extraordinary effort supported by local and outside organizations and individuals alike.

Mara contacted both Pickleball Canada and Pickleball Manitoba to see if there might be any interest in helping support the introduction of pickleball to Rankin Inlet. She wondered if anything could be done to send more equipment--and especially some good coaching--to help pickleball fever take root in this remote northern community. The Pickleball Manitoba Board embraced this initiative, realizing the incredible power of sports to unite communities, bridge cultural and geographic gaps, and promote healthy, active lifestyles.

Board Members Don Flatt and Kim Ezzard-Simpson volunteered to travel north to provide a two-day pickleball clinic in the community. Calm Air generously donated flights for the pair, and Rankin Inlet's Recreation Director, AJ Curley, was able to find funds to pay for local accommodation and meals. Pickleball Canada executives in turn secured additional new nets, paddles, and balls to send to the community.

The weekend of pickleball lessons and play occurred in early November 2024. The Rankin Inlet community provided a warm welcome for the coaches and gratitude for their time and the generous contributions of additional equipment. With gym space at Simon Alaittuq School now available after school hours for regular play, it’s heartwarming to know that families have already embraced the game, making it a regular part of their routines.

This story isn’t just about introducing a sport—it’s about fostering human connections, promoting healthy activity, and building bridges between communities. Thanks to Mara’s initial gesture and the collective efforts of everyone involved, pickleball in Rankin Inlet already has become a source of joy and community spirit. We hope this will continue to flourish and involve more community members over time.

We want to acknowledge the generous support of several organizations that made these clinics possible:

Pickleball Manitoba for embracing and facilitating this great initiative.

Pickleball Canada, for sending more nets, balls, and paddles to Rankin Inlet.

Peak Performance Pickleball for supplying paddles, hats, towels, t-shirts, and bags for the clinic participants.

Calm Air, for providing transportation from Winnipeg to Rankin Inlet.

The Hamlet of Rankin Inlet, for covering accommodation and meal expenses; and Simon Alaittuq School, for providing gym space for pickleball courts.

East Beaches Pickleball Grows Beyond 3 Courts and 100 Members

Who would have thought that after humble beginnings of less than a dozen players in 2014, that 10 years later, Beaches Pickleball membership would grow to over 100 members and boast a 10 court indoor-outdoor facility…

“2014 was the start with just a handful of players at East Beaches Social Scene“ adds Gary Wingate – who was, and still is, one of the main drivers of Pickleball at Beaches Community Centre. “ After we began to use the curling rink at Beaches Community Centre during the off-season of 2016, membership and interest just took off.”

Now, thanks to a successful capital campaign chaired by volunteer board member Bill Hurtig, the official grand opening of the 6 outdoor courts will take place in June 2024. “We were very fortunate to have the community privately raise over $200,000 that was matched by a Provincial Government grant” adds Bill. “It took many volunteers to complete the project, and now we have best of both worlds – 4 indoor and 6 top quality outdoor courts”

To continue to grow the sport, outdoor Beaches Pickleball will be free to the public after 1:00pm every day. Ongoing maintenance of the courts will be paid for through the sale of more pickleball memberships and daily drop in fees. Members enjoy full access to all courts from open to close.

“We hope we can grow the membership to over 200 in the next couple of years” says Gary Wingate.

Pickleball has become a must activity in most Canadian communities. Now Beaches Community Centre can boast one of the best Pickleball facilities in Manitoba. We encourage all pickleballers to come out and enjoy the new courts!

For more information on Pickleball at Beaches Community Centre, please visit: beachescc.ca/pickleball